Various electric fireplaces are known, providing flame simulation effects with varying degrees of success. In many, the electric fireplace includes a screen with front or rear surfaces that are formed or treated so that, across their entire areas, light that is directed therethrough is diffused. However, this type of screen has some disadvantages. For instance, the known screen (e.g., with its entire rear surface treated to diffuse light transmitted therethrough) imposes certain limits on the possible arrangements of elements in an electric fireplace. Also, the flame simulation effects provided by such a screen may tend to be somewhat unconvincing, depending on the observer's perspective.